Greater Boston Youth to Lead Community Change on Global Youth Service Day, April 18, 2015: Signature event for 150 People Focuses on Healthy Eating

Boston, MA, April 17, 2015 – Join Boston Cares, its Teen Advisory Council, and 150 fellow volunteers ages five and up, at our Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) signature event on Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 10-1 in space at 50 Park Street, Dorchester donated by the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 4. Volunteers will be making Garden Kits to be donated to youth at the West End House Boys and Girls Club and Boston Green Academy to encourage healthy eating habits by growing their own food. These young volunteers join millions of others around the globe who are celebrating Global Youth Service Day during the weekend of April 17, 18, and 19, which is part of National Volunteer Week.

Boston Cares is Youth Service America’s Lead Agency in Greater Boston for Global Youth Service Day 2015 and is mobilizing local youth in volunteering during National Volunteer Week/Global Youth Service Day. Boston Cares has created a downloadable guide for other groups to make the garden kits and has highlighted 13 other GYSD service projects with its community partners that are open to youth through its Calendar of volunteer opportunities. For listings, visit http://www.bostoncares.org/gysd.

“Youth and family volunteering is hugely popular at Boston Cares and we offer year-round opportunities for young people to serve, learn, and lead,” said Executive Director Patrice Keegan. “Research shows so many benefits for the youth and the community. For example, students involved in community service during high school were significantly more likely to graduate from college — 18% more likely for young women and 29% for young men. It is really a thrill for us when we provide the space for a child or youth to volunteer for the first time knowing what a positive impact it can make on their lives. Boston Cares provides many opportunities for youth to grow as volunteers and leaders.”

Global Youth Service Day recognizes the positive impact that young people have on their communities 365 days a year. GYSD is celebrated in more than 135 countries with youth-led service projects and community events. “We know that young people are uniquely suited to help solve problems – if given the opportunity,” said Steven A. Culbertson, president of YSA (Youth Service America), the leader of GYSD. “Today’s social and environmental problems are immense; we need youth in Massachusetts to be leaders and problem solvers today, not just the leaders of a distant tomorrow.”

The Boston Cares Global Youth Service Day signature project and planning are supported in part through grants from the Massachusetts Service Alliance, YSA/State Farm, and Disney Friends for Change.

About Boston Cares

Boston Cares, which moved this week into expanded space near North Station, is the region’s largest volunteer mobilizer, a member of the national Hands On Network and a leader in the volunteer engagement sector. We build relationships with schools and nonprofits with needs that can be filled by teams of volunteers; and then we recruit, train, and lead reliable and enthusiastic groups of volunteers who get the job done. Our year-round volunteer programs and seasonal signature service events engage adults of all ages, children and teens, and corporate partners. In 2014, Boston Cares mobilized 3,400 teams through which 23,000 volunteers served 67,000 hours benefiting 165 nonprofits, schools, and public programs. To learn more about volunteering in Greater Boston, visit http://www.bostoncares.org or call 617-422-0910.

Celebrating 27 years, Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) celebrates and mobilizes the millions of young people who improve their communities through service. GYSD is the largest service event in the world and the only one dedicated to the contributions that children and youth make 365 days of the year. GYSD is celebrated each April in more than 135 countries on 6 continents, with young people working together to address the world’s most critical issues and change their communities.

Learn more and browse GYSD activities around the world on the GYSD Map at www.GYSD.org.